Writing-pen



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

JOI-IN F. REEVE, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

WRITING-PEN.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 16,496, dated January 27, 1857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. REEVE, of the city of Richmond, county ofHenrico, and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in friting-Pens; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference markedthereon.

My invention consists in so jointing together two strips of rigid metal,glass, porcelain, or o-ther similar substances so as to form a writingpen, the point of which isy caused to open and close, for making line orcoarse lines, not by the yielding and recoil of elastic material,resulting from the greater or less pressure of the point on the paper asin ordinary pens, but by the greater or less pressure on the point soacting upon the two rigid halves of the pen that with the aid of a wedgeand spring, or equivalent. devices, the said two halves may so turnlaterally at their joint that the point of the pen may open and close.Pens thus made are not only much more durable than those of ordinaryconstruction, but they are also capable of producing the very linestlines with even greater accuracy than common metallic pens, and at thesame time possess, in the hands of the writer all the freedom andboldness common to quill pens. In conjunction with the jointed halves ofthe pen I employ a regulating spring (fully described hereafter) bymeans of which the pen may be readily made hard or soft at pleasure.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use myinvention I will now proceed to describe its construct-ion andoperation.

On reference to the drawing which forms a part of this specification.Figure l is a longitudinal section of my improved writing pen, on theline 3, et (Fig. 2). Fig. 2 a plan of the same showing the point of thepen closed, and the sliding tube in section. Fig. 3 the same as Fig. 2,but with the point of the pen open. Fig. 4 a transverse section on theline l, 2 (Figs. l and 2).

All the views are drawn to a scale of three times the actual size, andthe same letters of reference allude to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

The handle A and ferrule form the holder of the pen. To the projectingportion ZJ of the ferrule is jointed a lug a on the top of which is apin e the latter passing through the two halves c and c and so rivetedas to hinge them together. To the projecting portion of the ferrule isalso secured a wedge shaped piece It, (see Fig. 6) against the inclinedsides of which bear the ends of the arins c and c of the two halves Cand C of the pen; the ends of the arms also bear on one end of thespring D, the opposite end of which is secured to the stem A in anyconvenient manner. A steel or gum elastic spring E serves to keep thetwo arms c and c, and consequently the point of the pen closed; thisspring is arranged to slide backward and forward along the arms.

Secured to one half only of the pin but in contact with the other halfis a strip f which, together with the orifice formed by the notches x,zr, serves to retain a large body of ink on the pen.

In writing pens the opening and closing of the points has been hithertoeffected by the elasticity of the material of which they are composed,together with the greater or less pressure of the point on the paper;the material of which the pens are composed being thus submitted to acontinuous strain becomes rapidly deteriorated and the pens rendereduseless. In my improved pen which is composed of rigid or non-elast-cmaterial the required opening and closing of the point is effected asfollows. On pressing the point hard on the paper the two halves of thepen will simultaneously turn on the pin which passes through the lug a,the point of the pen being raised and the arms c and c depressed, at thesame time the ends of the arms acting upon the inclined sides of thelwedge shaped piece 71., the two halves of the pen must necessarily turnon the pin e and consequently the arms 0 and c as wel] as the points ofthe pen will open, (see Fig. 3) and this to an amount commensurate withthe degree of pressure employed. Then the pressure ceases the spring I)raises the arms c and c until their the pen is much more durable thanany of the ordinary pens and can be handled with as much freedom ascommon quill pens.

The amount of pressure required for the opening and closing of the pointmay be regulated by sliding the spring E backward or forward along thearms c and c; when the spring is close to the joint as in Fig. 3comparatively little pressure is required to cause the required opening,but when near the ends of the arms as in Fig. 2, a greater pressure isrequired, and thus the pen may be readily made hard or soft to suit theconvenience of the writer. G is a plain or ornamented metal tubearranged to slide over the ferrule B so that the arms c and c with thesliding spring E and wedge-shaped piece h may be covered or exposed atpleasure.

Although I have shown a peculiar arrangement of joints, springs, andwedge, I do not desire to coni-ine myself to the precise form ordisposal of the several parts, as

the same may be considerably modified without altering the result, but

IVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. The sojointing together of the two pieces c and c of rigid or nonelastic metalor other material that the same may form a pen the required opening andclosing of the point of which may be effected by the greater or lesspressure of the said point on the paper, assisted by the withindescribed springs and wedge, or equivalent devices.

2. The regulating spring E as applied to the arms c and 0 in the mannerand for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification beforetwo subscribing witnesses.

JOHN F. REEVE.

Witnesses 2 HENRY HowsoN, JosIAi-i SHiMs.

